continual
Americanadjective
-
of regular or frequent recurrence; often repeated; very frequent.
continual bus departures.
- Synonyms:
- repetitious, repetitive, recurrent, successive
-
happening without interruption or cessation; continuous in time.
- Synonyms:
- unending, permanent, unbroken, unremitting, uninterrupted, incessant, ceaseless, unceasing
adjective
-
recurring frequently, esp at regular intervals
-
occurring without interruption; continuous in time
Commonly Confused
Although usage guides generally advise that continual may be used only to mean “intermittent” and continuous only to mean “uninterrupted,” the words are used interchangeably in all kinds of speech and writing with no distinction in meaning: The president's life is under continual (or continuous ) scrutiny. Continuous (or continual ) bursts of laughter punctuated her testimony. The adverbs continually and continuously are also used interchangeably. To make a clear distinction between what occurs at short intervals and what proceeds without interruption, writers sometimes use the contrasting terms intermittent ( intermittent losses of power during the storm ) and uninterrupted ( uninterrupted reception during the storm ) or similar expressions. Continuous is not interchangeable with continual in the sense of spatial relationship: a continuous (not continual ) series of passages.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of continual
First recorded in 1300–50; from Medieval Latin continuālis, equivalent to Latin continu(us) “uninterrupted” + -ālis adjective suffix; replacing Middle English continuel, from Middle French, from Latin, as above; see continuous, -al 1
Explanation
The adjective continual describes something that's recurring, that happens again and again. If your pet wolf keeps up his continual howling all night, your neighbors will let you know about it. Something continual doesn't seem to stop. Your continual nightmares about terrifying clowns occur night after night, and the continual interruptions of your adorable nephew while you're talking on the phone will probably seem less and less cute the longer they continue. The Latin root word is continuus, "uninterrupted," and if you're truly talking about something going on without pause, you'll want to use the word continuous instead.
Vocabulary lists containing continual
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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Commonly Confused Words, List 7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Happiness is not stable, Mr. Epley tells us; it’s like a leaky tire that needs continual pumping up with positive experiences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Explaining how this growing complexity can coexist with the continual rise of entropy remains an unresolved problem.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
The characters are all in a continual state of collision, their shifting conflicts inflamed by Coriolanus’ arrogantly uncompromising nature.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
For starters, data centers need a continual supply of advanced chips.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
We spelled each other down to the continual clang of the cowbell and wore the dictionary out, looking up meanings.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
